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Florham Park – A few things to get into today . . .
Chuma Edoga wasn’t on the practice field. He is dealing with knee and ankle injuries suffered against Washington.
There was a story line the other day I didn’t understand coming out of Gase’s Monday press teleconference that “the Jets are optimistic Edoga can play this week.”
Why would you play a rookie right tackle, with two injuries, against the Raiders, with two injuries, when you have a veteran right tackle behind him, who played better against the Redskins?
Didn’t get that Monday narrative at all.
Nothing against Edoga who is a terrific prospect, but why would you start him with two lower body injuries, when you have a healthy Shell?
Gase did nothing wrong saying there was hope of him playing when asked on Monday. No coach should give great insight on injuries to the media during a Monday press briefing. It’s too early in the week to do that, and there are no injury reports on Monday, so why divulge anything?
But conceptually playing an injured Edoga over Shell this week made no sense . . .
During individual drills, Jets left tackle Kelvin Beachum, in uniform, took a knee, and didn’t do the blocking, engaging going on during the session. Gase said he re-injured his ankle against Washington.
Perhaps he did re-injured the ankle at Fed-Ex Field, but like we pointed out here last week, he actually re-injured it against the Football Giants. On Le’Veon Bell’s TD run in the early fourth quarter against the Giants, Beachum came up limping on the ankle.
So he actually re-injured it the week before.
Look, he suffered a high ankle sprain. That is usually a 6-8 week healing process and he missed just three weeks. So he’s really never going to 100 percent the entire season. To his credit, he’s fighting through it . . .
Something way off the beat path here, but watching the wide receiver drill today, practice squad-er Jeff Smith has really good hands. He had two very difficult catches today. You combine his terrific hands, with his world class speed, and the Jets could have something here in the Boston College-product . . .
I just don’t think it’s good culturally for a team that is 3-7 to pound their chests on social media. Maybe I’m old fashioned, but I have no understanding of this.
The Patriots are more humble on social media at 9-1 than a 3-7 team . . .
The New York Post had a column today with the headline, “Jordan Jenkins is a keeper for the Jets.”
First paragraph – “Jets general manager Joe Douglas has many decisions to make about this roster in the offseason, but one that should be easy for him is bringing back Jordan Jenkins.”
We respectfully disagree. It’s actually not an easy decision. Jenkins is very tough, plays hurt, is a good leader and has tremendous character, but he lacks ideal speed, quickness and quick twitch athleticism for the position he plays. That is an issue, and too often skill players take the edge on him.
The media loves him because he’s a great guy who is very cooperative. Same with the team’s website, but one thing about personnel decisions in the NFL, you can’t let emotion and sentimentality get in the way. You gotta just go by the film. You can’t walk around with rose-colored glasses.
He has five sacks this year, and two came against Giants backup left tackle Eric Smith, who got no practice reps during the week at LT.
Look, it’s not the worst idea in the world to bring him back on a reasonable deal because of his tremendous toughness, character and leadership, but the way people make this into a slam dunk, is little perplexing.
Heck of a guy, but you need athletic, quick, flexible, twitchy ends in the NFL. The fact that Jenkins lacks in some of these areas isn’t his fault. It’s how he’s built. But the Jets have to factor this into his decision.
Just keeping it real folks.
Heck of person, great character, tough as boot leather, but lacks some requisite things to be a top-shelf end, and that is not his fault.
November 20, 2019
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